Ahh sh*t, here we go again. Just when you thought it was safe to scroll past pandemic news without breaking into a cold sweat, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (yes, that Wuhan lab) just dropped the hottest mixtape of 2025: a new bat coronavirus with serious pandemic potential.

(Source: Giphy) 

In short, the world was introduced to HKU5-CoV-2 on Friday, a virus that scientists say can infiltrate human cells the same way SARS-CoV-2 (aka Covid-19) did. Oh and just for fun, it’s apparently even more closely related to MERS, the OG killer coronavirus that had a 36% fatality rate. But hey, at least vaccine stocks were up LOL (more on that in a moment). 

Here’s what we know so far: (Or atleast the intel the Cabal is willing to tell us). First off, this bad boy has been discovered in bats (of course it was) by researchers at the Wuhan Institutie of Virology (again, of friggin’ course). Secondly, it uses the same entry mechanism as SARS-CoV-2, meaning it already has a VIP pass into human cells. And now, scientists admit it has a “high risk of spillover”---meaning it could jump from bats to humans, or through an intermediate host (paging pangolins). If you listen closely, you can hear the world start to burn as Big Pharma gets ready to reap handsomely from it. 

(Source: Bloomberg) 

Now all sarcasm aside (for like 0.2 seconds), is this déjà vu or something worse? A new coronavirus, discovered in Wuhan, with the potential to jump to humans. Sounds like a desperate attempt to make a failed sequel if you ask me. 

Plus, this comes right as the Covid lab-leak debate is still raging. Many people believe (with low and high confidence) that Covid-19 leaked from this very lab. Meanwhile, the latest study from Wuhan researchers sticks to the zoonotic spillover narrative—aka, “we swear this jumped from bats to humans naturally.” Yeah, and P-Diddy is innocent LOL. Now of course, believe what you want, but the timing here is… interesting. 

(Source: Investopedia) 

Especially since nothing gets vaccine makers foaming at the mouth quite like the mere possibility of another pandemic. Once this new Wuhan discovery hit the stands, Moderna catapulted 6.6%, Novavax jumped 7.8%, BioNTech surged 5.1%, and Pfizer saw a nice 2.6% bump. Meaning, the second the words "new bat coronavirus" hit the news cycle, vaccine stocks shot up faster than a meme stock on Reddit. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that Big Pharma never lets a good virus go to waste.

So with that, what’s next? Well, besides Pharma companies and investors counting their newfound cash, HKU5-CoV-2 hasn’t been detected in humans—yet. However, if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that viruses don’t exactly ask for permission before wreaking havoc on global markets.

(Source: Giphy) 

The main thing we need to start watching super closely (besides Anthony Fauci’s whereabouts) is whether or not this virus actually spills over (and if it does, will we even be told about it ahead of time). And if so, how fast will governments react? We already know Teflon Don’s thoughts on the previous sh*t show, so it’ll be interesting to see how the administration handles this news. 

For now though, we wait. We buy toilet paper, and we shutter at ever hearing the words “lockdown” again. On the other hand, if you are a Pharma investor—congrats, you had one hell of a Friday. (And who knows, 2025 may bring you even more riches). Of course, do what you will with this information, and don’t shoot the messenger here. I’m just giving you the facts—so with that, place your bets accordingly, and stay safe and stay frosty, friends! Until next time…

P.S. Want deep dives on the hottest AI plays before the rest of the market catches on? Want to know who’s riding the hype train and who’s actually building something that won’t collapse the second the AI bubble deflates? Want the inside track on the moves that matter before they hit the front page? Then quit playing around and subscribe to Stocks.News Premium ASAP… 

Stocks.News holds positions in Moderna as mentioned in the article.